Building blocks of a disruptive business model

When we start to see customers as part of our business model (see previous post) interesting, disruptive, and beneficial things can happen.

For example, the current business model for ‘learning a foreign language’ is simple: business provides a product, customer pays money.

But as the speaker in this video explains, 95% of the world’s population can’t afford it, “so this is extremely unfair towards the poor.”

“So what?”, a traditional marketer might respond.

But if we change our thinking, if we stop thinking of customers as ‘outside’ our business model and instead make them part of it, then two amazing things happen. First, we create what the speaker calls a “fair business model for language education.” And second, we get to translate the Internet for free!

There is more detail in the presentation, where the key building blocks seem to be:
– turning a chore into something that adds value
– learning by doing is inherently more interesting
– customers can pay with time, not money

And as the presenter explains, a fourth step will also likely be to create new products that others will pay for.

Some would call this business model ‘disruptive’. We simply think it’s a permabusiness solution that will last longer — because it is more enjoyable, more inclusive, and provides more value to more people.